The more I read about the ingredients that go into most antiperspirants or deodorants the less I feel comfortable about using them on an everyday basis.

I like to use natural, organic, non-animal tested beauty products on my face but somehow have continued to use traditional antiperspirants to control underarm odour and sweating

When AA Essentials offered me the chance to try their new deodorant it seemed like the perfect opportunity to wean myself off traditional antiperspirants and move towards something more natural. 

Of the three different scents available I chose the Grapefruit and Cedarwood. variety.  This was based quite simply on the fact that I like both the aroma of grapefruit and the aroma of cedarwood and was intrigued by the combination.  I simply ignored the fact that the label said it was for men

The deodorant comes in a 50ml dumpy glass bottle with a large roll-on ball.  It is easy to apply, dries relatively quickly and smells gorgeous.  But is it effective?  Well yes and no.  On days where I am at home, it works just fine, but then I'm not doing very much.  On days where I am very active and an exercise class followed by a shower is part of the routine it works just fine, but then it is being reapplied a couple of times during the day..
It had a hard time coping with long days outside the house when I was shopping or visiting friends.
I'm finding that I keep a more traditional antiperspirant on my dressing table for use on the days that I know are going to be unrelentingly busy but for the rest of the time this is my go-to product. 

According to the AA Skincare website the ingredients are as follows



Aloe Vera helps to cool, calm and soothe skin and has natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.

Cedarwood Essential Oil is a naturally deodorising oil that brings a smooth woody and masculine note to the aroma. 

Grapefruit Essential Oil is balancing for the skin and encourages the body to expel toxins and excess liquid. 

Thyme Essential Oil is antibacterial and helps to attack the bacteria which causes body odour. 

Glycerin has great moisturising and hydrating properties.

Saccharomyces Ferment is a yeast extract that helps to break down the compounds that cause body odour.


Inci Listing 
Aqua, Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 laurate, Saccharomyces ferment, Citrus paradisii peel oil, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Thymus vulgaris oil Lactic acid, Citric acid, Xantham Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium sorbate.


Compared to the list of ingredients on the back of the more traditional product I'm using I'm much happier and more comfortable with the above.


If you are looking for a more natural deodorant, I am happy to recommend this product. 

This week the show-stopper challenge was all about cheesecake.  Now I love making cheesecake and this was the perfect excuse to get baking.  However with just the two of us there was no way I could justify making three tiers of cheesecake, each a different flavour.  Instead I made my favourite Lemon Cheesecake and jazzed it up a bit by adding a topping.

The cinnamon topping is adapted from a recipe I saw on an american blog and I long ago gave up trying to convert cups to imperial measurements.  I just bought a set of measuring cups.
 

Foodie Penpals is the brainchild of Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean blog. Its European cousin is run by Carol Anne at This is Rock Salt blog.

It is a simple idea that works brilliantly.  Each month everybody who has signed up to swap gets assigned two partners.  Partner One will be the person  that you send a parcel and Partner Two is who you will receive a parcel from.  A few emails later and you have discovered the foodie likes and dislikes of Partner One and have let Partner Two know what sort of goodies you like. 

Then you go shopping!  There is a spending limit, you should spend no more than £10 on the contents of the parcel.  Once you have finished shopping, pack your parcel.  Add a letter and a recipe to your parcel, send it all out to Partner One and sit back and wait for a box full of goodies to arrive from Partner Two.

Usually, I ask for ingredients, especially ones that can be used in baking, but this month I asked for pre-made snacks, things that can be popped into a bag when travelling and easily eaten on the go.  I mentioned to Nicola that I prefer savoury snacks and that I'm addicted to cheese. This is what I received.  I think it is a fabulous parcel and fits the brief perfectly.

Last week (biscuit week) I was far too ambitious and attempted the technical challenge.  My version of Arlette biscuits tasted fine but looked dreadful.  Far too dreadful to take photos and share.  Mind you they were eaten pretty quickly which tells me I need to have another go sometime soon.

This week was bread week and as the breadmaking in this household is done by Leigh rather than me and usually in a breadmaker I was not tempted to try the technical challenge at all.  In fact, I was seriously thinking of missing out this week.

Over the weekend, I was sorting through some old recipe books and spotted a recipe for something called a Basic Beer-Cheese Bread which was described as a savoury quick bread.  Seemed like fate had stepped in and demanded I try out a quick bread.  I had to wait until yesterday and pay a quick visit to the shops as somehow there was neither cheese nor beer in the cupboard but once everything was gathered together it was simple to put together, easy to cook and tasty to eat.

Here is the recipe

Keep Me Going is a new addition to the cereal shelves but has taken over two years to go from initial concept to release.  Was it worth the time and effort?  In my opinion a definite YES.  This is a tasty addition to the healthy cereal choices on offer and one I would be happy to purchase.

Keep Me Going is made from whole grain barley and oats.  It has a distinctive malty flavour which I found delicious.

Too many cereals these days seem to be made mostly from sugar, but it is difficult to wean ourselves away from the familiar taste of high sugar products.  Keep Me Going can easily be mixed with your usual cereal so that overall the sugar factor is lowered, this is how my husband ate his bowlfuls, or it can be eaten by itself, which is how I like it.  Both of us found it filling and tasty.  Filling enough that our mid-morning coffee break didn't require a snack alongside to get us through to lunchtime.

At the moment, Keep Me Going is only available through Ocado.  If you haven't shopped at Ocado before here is a link that will give you £20 off your first shop(£80 min spend) and free mid-week delivery.  Ocado link

This is all it takes to stop me snacking throughout the morning.

I am completely addicted to watching The Great British Bake Off and now that it has returned to our TV screens I can look forward to happy Wednesdays evenings for the next few months.  

I thought that in order to celebrate the return of one of my favourite programmes I would bake a cake and what better cake could there be than the one that  was featured as the first cake baked on the first show this season, the Madeira cake.

Here is my recipe for a Madeira Cake 

This recipe is one of many I inherited from my aunt.  She collected recipes for many years I am slowly trying out the ones that look interesting.  This one might have come from The Farmhouse Kitchen Cook Book but I can't be certain

I received this product for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

At first I was unsure about agreeing to review the Run Baby Running Belt as running isn't part of my exercise regime but as soon as I realised it would be useful for other activities I quickly said yes and am pleased to have done so. 

I am lucky enough to live somewhere that is literally on The Two Moors Way (a walking trail in Southwest England) so I just have to step out of my front door and I am in beautiful walking country. 


Often I won't have pockets available for all those essential bits and pieces even a short walk entails and I don't want to be carrying a day-pack when I'm only going for a 45min stroll. This comfortable belt allows me to carry keys and phone without any worries. 


On a longer walk I can keep bits and pieces I need frequently in the belt and not have to stop and rummage in my pack to find tissues or some change etc.

It is excellent quality, it is comfortable to wear and at the price very good value. I'm happy to recommend.

We eat a lot of snacks in this household, probably way more than we should, but it does make us expert taste testers when it comes to trying out new snacks.  When offered the opportunity to try out the new Cracker Crisps from Jacobs we jumped at the chance and we were not disappointed with them in any way at all.

Jacobs Cracker Crisps come in three flavours, Sour Cream and Chive, Thai Sweet Chilli, and Sea Salt with Balsamic Vinegar.  As the Sour Cream & Chive flavour is always popular in our house this was the packet we tried first.

These packets are meant for sharing but they are so very, very moreish that it is difficult to stop once started.  In the interest of testing them out properly we ate the whole packet!

They are delicious, a proper, strong flavour, these crackers actually tasted of something, not a horrible stale cardboard that is often the case with a dry cracker but a full on creamy, herby flavour that tickled the tastebuds and lasted in the mouth without leaving behind any nasty aftertaste.

We did manage to pace ourselves a bit more with the other two packets but over the course of the week we munched our way through the lot and every mouthful was delicious.

Often I find I can't taste any difference between ordinary salt and vinegar snacks and those labelled as sea salt and balsamic vinegar.  These were most definitely flavoured with balsamic vinegar.  There was no mistaking the difference it made to the taste.  Not overwhelming but recognisable.

The Thai Sweet Chilli version is not too sweet and not too spicy, but can deliver a kick of spice if eaten too quickly, as Leigh found out after commenting that they didn't have much heat to them at all!.  

 Like most women, I have areas of my body where cellulite is more visible than. I would really like to acknowledge.  I have always considered it a natural part of aging, but would prefer to get rid of it if possible.

I have used several Instanatural products and so when they invited me to try their cellulite cream I was more than happy to test it out.

Before I started the skin on this part of my arms was sandpaper rough and no amount of exfoliation or moisturising seemed to make any difference.

I won't pretend that I now have baby-soft skin in this area, but there has been a noticeable improvement.  The skin is smoother and softer, I can feel that the lumps and bumps have lessened and when I look in the mirror the skin is visibly improved.

Although we all want to look our best most of us don't want to do it at the cost of animal suffering.  Because this product is mostly organic and totally cruelty-free I can use it without worry.  If you are like me and don't think that animals should suffer for our vanity then this is a product you will feel happy about using.

Instanatural Cellulite Cream is packed with a whole host of beneficial ingredients.  It contains retinol, caffeine, vitamin C, cocoa butter, shea butter and avocado oil among its many helpful ingredients.  It comes in a large, easy to use tub and is backed with a money back guarantee

• Rich With Organic Ingredients  

• Cruelty-Free

• Provides Superior Hydration
• Contains antioxidants to help promote healthier skin

• InstaNatural backs their products with Lifetime Satisfaction Money Back Guarantee
  
  

I saw an improvement to my skin after using this product and plan to carry on using it.  In fact ,I will start using it on other areas of cellulite and hope to see the same improvement there as I have on my arms. 

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased feedback.

This serum is designed to be used daily on the face and with regular use promises to reverse skin aging, remove fine lines and make skin look younger and firmer.

I started using a different make of serum earlier this year and was so happy with the result that when offered the opportunity to try this version I jumped at the chance.  I like to be able to compare products and find out which works the best for me and which is the best value for money.

This serum comes in a large bottle, 60ml, and as only a tiny amount is needed at each use it is going to last a very long time.  I was surprised the first time I used it as the consistency is a lot more watery than I was expecting.  Closer to a liquid than a gel.  This actually made it easier to apply and it dried very quickly so there was little waiting around before I could use moisturizer.

After using this serum for just over a week, I am happy with its effects.  My skin looks refreshed and hydrated.  The fine lines around my mouth have faded and I have had no adverse reactions.  The only thing I don't like about the serum is the smell.  I don't find the aroma particularly appealing.  To me, it smells of geraniums, not one of my favourite scents.  But it fades away very quickly and does not bother me enough to make me stop using the serum.

I always want to be certain that anything I put on my skin is going to be safe to use.  This serum is certified 100% organic which means I don't have to worry about any nasty chemicals ending up in my system..

The serum comes in a 60ml bottle with an easy to use pump..  It is totally orgainic and very easy to use..  It is safe for use on sensitive skin..  Regular use will help hydrate skin leaving it looking younger and firmer.  This is a Canadian product that is new to the UK but if it does as well here as it does there then it is going to be very popular.

• Large bottle (60ml of serum)
• New to the UK but the best seller in Canada where it is made.
• Excellent for sensitive skin
• Organic product

There are 41 reviews on Amazon.co.uk at present  with an average score of 4.8/5.

The customer reviews on Amazon are overwhelming positive with no real negatives to mention.

Customers are saying 

I’ve used this morning and night for 2 weeks now and I am still using it. I used no other products apart from moisturiser and my skin has shown remarkable changes



and


Have been using the serum now for 3 weeks and it is probably the best thing my skin has been introduced too.



I intend to keep on using this product and am happy to recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good value Vitamin C Serum.